The French 102nd Division was an Infantry division (French: 102e Division d'Infanterie Territoriale, 102e DIT) of the French Army during World War I, and a Fortress division (French: 102e Division d'Infanterie de Forteresse, 102e DIF) during World War II.

During World War I, the division comprised the 286th Territorial Infantry Regiment, the 292nd Territorial Infantry Regiment, the 326th Territorial Infantry Regiment and the 342nd Territorial Infantry Regiment.

The division was formed on 25 May 1915 and dissolved on 1 May 1916, during this time, it was part of the French 13th Army Corps (13e Corps d' Army (CA)) (part of the Sixth Army: French Sixth Arm).[1]

It was a Series A reserve division, which contained younger reservists and a Fortress Division defending the French Border with Belgium, the division was led by General André Corap and resisted the German invasion at the Meuse. [2] On the 14th May they held up the 6th Panzer Division at Montherme but withdrew when they came under attack from the rear.[3]

1.
World War I
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World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and paved the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. The war drew in all the worlds great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war, Italy, Japan, the trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This set off a crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Within weeks, the powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Russia on 1 August. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, after the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that changed little until 1917. On the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, in November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. In 1915, Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, Romania joined the Allies in 1916, after a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918, the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives. By the end of the war or soon after, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, national borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or created, and Germanys colonies were parceled out among the victors. During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, the League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict. This effort failed, and economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation eventually contributed to World War II. From the time of its start until the approach of World War II, at the time, it was also sometimes called the war to end war or the war to end all wars due to its then-unparalleled scale and devastation. In Canada, Macleans magazine in October 1914 wrote, Some wars name themselves, during the interwar period, the war was most often called the World War and the Great War in English-speaking countries. Will become the first world war in the sense of the word. These began in 1815, with the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, when Germany was united in 1871, Prussia became part of the new German nation. Soon after, in October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between the monarchs of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany

2.
Infantry
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Infantry is the general branch of an army that engages in military combat on foot. As the troops who engage with the enemy in close-ranged combat, infantry units bear the largest brunt of warfare, Infantry can enter and maneuver in terrain that is inaccessible to military vehicles and employ crew-served infantry weapons that provide greater and more sustained firepower. In English, the 16th-century term Infantry describes soldiers who walk to the battlefield, and there engage, fight, the term arose in Sixteenth-Century Spain, which boasted one of the first professional standing armies seen in Europe since the days of Rome. It was common to appoint royal princes to military commands, and the men under them became known as Infanteria. in the Canadian Army, the role of the infantry is to close with, and destroy the enemy. In the U. S. Army, the closes with the enemy, by means of fire and maneuver, in order to destroy or capture him, or to repel his assault by fire, close combat. In the U. S. Marine Corps, the role of the infantry is to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy fire and maneuver. Beginning with the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, artillery has become a dominant force on the battlefield. Since World War I, combat aircraft and armoured vehicles have become dominant. In 20th and 21st century warfare, infantry functions most effectively as part of a combined arms team including artillery, armour, Infantry relies on organized formations to be employed in battle. These have evolved over time, but remain a key element to effective infantry development and deployment, until the end of the 19th century, infantry units were for the most part employed in close formations up until contact with the enemy. This allowed commanders to control of the unit, especially while maneuvering. The development of guns and other weapons with increased firepower forced infantry units to disperse in order to make them less vulnerable to such weapons. This decentralization of command was made possible by improved communications equipment, among the various subtypes of infantry is Medium infantry. This refers to infantry which are heavily armed and armored than heavy infantry. In the early period, medium infantry were largely eliminated due to discontinued use of body armour up until the 20th century. In the United States Army, Stryker Infantry is considered Medium Infantry, since they are heavier than light infantry, Infantry doctrine is the concise expression of how infantry forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. It is a guide to action, not a set of hard, doctrine provides a very common frame of reference across the military forces, allowing the infantry to function cooperatively in what are now called combined arms operations. Doctrine helps standardise operations, facilitating readiness by establishing common ways of accomplishing infantry tasks, doctrine links theory, history, experimentation, and practice

3.
Battle of France
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The Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries in 1940 during the Second World War. Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940 and attempted an invasion of France, the German plan for the invasion of France consisted of two main operations. After the withdrawal of the BEF, the German forces began Fall Rot on 5 June, the sixty remaining French divisions made a determined resistance but were unable to overcome the German air superiority and armoured mobility. German tanks outflanked the Maginot Line and pushed deep into France, German forces occupied Paris unopposed on 14 June after a chaotic period of flight of the French government that led to a collapse of the French army. German commanders met with French officials on 18 June with the goal of forcing the new French government to accept an armistice that amounted to surrender and this led to the end of the French Third Republic. France was not liberated until the summer of 1944, in 1939, Britain and France offered military support to Poland in the likely case of a German invasion. In the dawn of 1 September 1939, the German Invasion of Poland began, France and the United Kingdom declared war on 3 September, after an ultimatum for German forces to immediately withdraw their forces from Poland was met without reply. Following this, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, on 7 September, in accordance with their alliance with Poland, France began the Saar Offensive with an advance from the Maginot Line 5 km into the Saar. France had mobilised 98 divisions and 2,500 tanks against a German force consisting of 43 divisions, the French advanced until they met the then thin and undermanned Siegfried Line. On 17 September, the French supreme commander, Maurice Gamelin gave the order to withdraw French troops to their starting positions, following the Saar Offensive, a period of inaction called the Phoney War set in between the belligerents. Adolf Hitler had hoped that France and Britain would acquiesce in the conquest of Poland, on 6 October, he made a peace offer to both Western powers. On 9 October, Hitler issued a new Führer-Directive Number 6, the plan was based on the seemingly more realistic assumption that German military strength would have to be built up for several years. For the moment only limited objectives could be envisaged and were aimed at improving Germanys ability to survive a long war in the west. Hitler ordered a conquest of the Low Countries to be executed at the shortest possible notice to forestall the French and it would also provide the basis for a long-term air and sea campaign against Britain. On 10 October 1939, Britain refused Hitlers offer of peace and on 12 October, colonel-General Franz Halder, presented the first plan for Fall Gelb on 19 October. This was the codename of plans for a campaign in the Low Countries. Halders plan has been compared to the Schlieffen Plan, the given to the German strategy of 1914 in the First World War. It was similar in both plans entailed an advance through the middle of Belgium

4.
Division (military)
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A division is a large military unit or formation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. Infantry divisions during the World Wars ranged between 10,000 and 30,000 in nominal strength, in most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, in turn, several divisions typically make up a corps. In the West, the first general to think of organising an army into smaller units was Maurice de Saxe, Marshal General of France. He died at the age of 54, without having implemented his idea, victor-François de Broglie put the ideas into practice. He conducted successful practical experiments of the system in the Seven Years War. The first war in which the system was used systematically was the French Revolutionary War. It made the more flexible and easy to manoeuvre. Under Napoleon, the divisions were grouped together into corps, because of their increasing size, napoleons military success spread the divisional and corps system all over Europe, by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, all armies in Europe had adopted it. In modern times, most military forces have standardized their divisional structures, the peak use of the division as the primary combat unit occurred during World War II, when the belligerents deployed over a thousand divisions. With technological advances since then, the power of each division has increased. Divisions are often formed to organize units of a particular type together with support units to allow independent operations. In more recent times, divisions have mainly been organized as combined arms units with subordinate units representing various combat arms, in this case, the division often retains the name of a more specialized division, and may still be tasked with a primary role suited to that specialization. For the most part, large cavalry units did not remain after World War II, in general, two new types of cavalry were developed, air cavalry or airmobile, relying on helicopter mobility, and armored cavalry, based on an autonomous armored formation. The former was pioneered by the 11th Air Assault Division, formed on 1 February 1963 at Fort Benning, on 29 June 1965 the division was renamed as the 1st Cavalry Division, before its departure for the Vietnam War. After the end of the Vietnam War, the 1st Cavalry Division was reorganised and re-equipped with tanks, the development of the tank during World War I prompted some nations to experiment with forming them into division-size units. Many did this the way as they did cavalry divisions, by merely replacing cavalry with AFVs. This proved unwieldy in combat, as the units had many tanks, instead, a more balanced approach was taken by adjusting the number of tank, infantry, artillery, and support units. A panzer division was a division of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS of Germany during World War II

5.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan

6.
Reservist
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A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military, Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed forces, in some countries such as Israel, Norway, Singapore, and Switzerland, reservists are conscripted soldiers who are called up for training and service when necessary. The notion of a reservist has been around, in many forms, in ancient times, reservist forces such as the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd and the Viking Leidangr formed the main fighting strength of most armies. It was only at the end of the 17th century that professional standing armies became the norm, historically reservists played a significant role in Europe after the Prussian defeat in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt. On 9 July 1807 in the Treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon forced Prussia to drastically reduce its military strength, the Prussian army could no longer be stronger than 42,000 men. With this the reduction of the armys strength did not have the desired effect, every conscript which has served at least a day in the Bundeswehr is a reservist, unless he is declared ineligible for military service or has made a claim of conscientious objection. Soldiers of enlisted ranks with a contract or professional soldiers. This is also the case for women, but on the basis of the Soldatengesetz, every soldier follows his rank with the initials d. R. So it does not affect whether the soldier is called up, placed in an inactive formation, only professional soldiers use the appellation a. D. d. R after the end of their service. All others strictly use d. R. until the end of their lives, Reservists are an integral part of the Bundeswehr. They are essential for the capability of the forces in time of war. Reservists can be active in the Bundeswehr in addition to their mandatory service and this mostly happens through military exercises or official events. Apart from that the Bundeswehr organises reservist unions as particularly representative supporting organisations of voluntarily reservist work, eligibility for compulsory military service for soldiers and other servicemen of low rank ends at the end of the 45th year of age. Thereafter the conscript is no part of the reserve. Despite that the appellations a. D. and/or d. R. may still be used, conscription for under-officers and officers lasts until the 60th year of age. Until the 32nd year of age every conscript is subject to military inspection, all conscripts who have not done their service belong to the Ersatzreserve. They must serve a mandatory two-year active period as Full-Time National Servicemen, deployed to the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, or the Singapore Civil Defence Force

7.
Belgium
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Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and the North Sea. It is a small, densely populated country which covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres and has a population of about 11 million people. Additionally, there is a group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area. Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, the region was called Belgica in Latin, after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, today, Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. It is divided into three regions and three communities, that exist next to each other and its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region is a bilingual enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia, Belgiums linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance, made up of six different governments. Upon its independence, declared in 1830, Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution and, during the course of the 20th century, possessed a number of colonies in Africa. This continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching reforms, resulting in a transition from a unitary to a federal arrangement during the period from 1970 to 1993. Belgium is also a member of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD and WTO. Its capital, Brussels, hosts several of the EUs official seats as well as the headquarters of major international organizations such as NATO. Belgium is also a part of the Schengen Area, Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy and is categorized as very high in the Human Development Index. A gradual immigration by Germanic Frankish tribes during the 5th century brought the area under the rule of the Merovingian kings, a gradual shift of power during the 8th century led the kingdom of the Franks to evolve into the Carolingian Empire. Many of these fiefdoms were united in the Burgundian Netherlands of the 14th and 15th centuries, the Eighty Years War divided the Low Countries into the northern United Provinces and the Southern Netherlands. The latter were ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs and this was the theatre of most Franco-Spanish and Franco-Austrian wars during the 17th and 18th centuries. The reunification of the Low Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands occurred at the dissolution of the First French Empire in 1815, although the franchise was initially restricted, universal suffrage for men was introduced after the general strike of 1893 and for women in 1949. The main political parties of the 19th century were the Catholic Party, French was originally the single official language adopted by the nobility and the bourgeoisie

8.
Meuse
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The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea. It has a length of 925 km. Its lower Belgian portion, part of the sillon industriel, was the first fully industrialized area in continental Europe. The Meuse and its crossings were a key objective of the last major German WWII counter-offensive on the Western Front, the Meuse River is represented in the documentary The River People released in 2012 by Xavier Istasse. The name Meuse is derived from the French name of the river, the Dutch name Maas descends from Middle Dutch Mase, which comes from the presumed but unattested Old Dutch form *Masa, from Proto-Germanic *Masō. Only modern Dutch preserves this Germanic form, however, despite the similarity, the Germanic name is not derived from the Latin name, judging from the change from earlier o into a, which is characteristic of the Germanic languages. Therefore, both the Latin and Germanic names were derived from a Proto-Celtic source, which would have been *Mosā. The Meuse rises in Pouilly-en-Bassigny, commune of Le Châtelet-sur-Meuse on the Langres plateau in France from where it flows northwards past Sedan, at Namur it is joined by the River Sambre. Beyond Namur the Meuse winds eastwards, skirting the Ardennes, the river then forms part of the Belgian-Dutch border, except that at Maastricht the border lies further to the west. The river has been divided near Heusden into the Afgedamde Maas on the right, the Bergse Maas continues under the name of Amer, which is part of De Biesbosch. Near Lage Zwaluwe, the Nieuwe Merwede joins the Amer, forming the Hollands Diep, between Maastricht and Maasbracht, an unnavigable section of the Meuse is bypassed by the 36 km Juliana Canal. South of Namur, further upstream, the river can carry more modest vessels. From Givet, the river is canalized over a distance of 272 kilometres, the canalized Meuse used to be called the Canal de lEst — Branche Nord but was recently rebaptized into Canal de la Meuse. The waterway can be used by the smallest barges that are still in use commercially, just upstream of the town of Commercy, the Canal de la Meuse connects with the Marne–Rhine Canal by means of a short diversion canal. The Cretaceous sea reptile Mosasaur is named after the river Meuse, the first fossils of it were discovered outside Maastricht 1780. An international agreement was signed in 2002 in Ghent, Belgium about the management of the river amongst France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, also participating in the agreement were the Belgian regional governments of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. Most of the area is in Wallonia, followed by France. An International Commission on the Meuse has the responsibility of the implementation of the treaty, the map of the basin area of Meuse was joined to the text of the treaty

9.
6th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)
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The 6th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II, established in 1939. The division, initially formed as a brigade, participated in the invasions of Poland, Belgium, France. From 1941 to 1945 it fought on the Eastern Front, interrupted only by periods of refitting spend in France and it eventually surrendered to US forces in Czechoslovakia in May 1945 but was handed over to Soviet authorities. The 1st Light Brigade was a unit established in October 1937 in imitation of the French Division Légère Mécanique. It was intended to take on the roles of army-level reconnaissance and it included mechanized recon units, motorized infantry, and a battalion of tanks. The concept of the Light Brigade, of three were planned by the Wehrmacht, quickley showed its flawed nature and was abandoned. Following the latter the division received 130 Czech-build tanks which were superior to the Panzer I, in 1939, the division fought in the Invasion of Poland. The division was part of the German advance to the English Channel through Belgium and it then swung back towards the French-Swiss border before relocating to Eastern Prussia in September 1940 where it remained until June 1941. At the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union the division had 239 tanks, but only twelve of those were Panzer III, in June 1941, it joined Operation Barbarossa, fighting at first under Army Group North for Leningrad. 6th Panzer Division was soon transferred to Army Group Center, where it fought in the Battle of Moscow, with the Soviet counter offensive in December 1941 the division was pushed back and suffered the loss of all its tanks and most of its vehicles. Severely decimated the 6th Panzer Division was sent to France to be rebuilt in March 1942 and equipped with more modern tanks. It was moved to southern France after the US landing in North Africa and it was part of the failed German attempt to break through to the encircled forces but then had to retreat to escape encirclement itself. The division was part of the German retreat and counter offensive at Kharkov, the 6th Panzer Division was part of the only partially successful relief operation at the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket as well as the escape from the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket. It was part of the German defence of northern Poland and East Prussia before being relocated to Hungary in December 1944 and it took part in the battles around Budapest before retreating into Austria and taking part in the defence of Vienna. When the city fell it moved into Czechoslovakia where it surrendered to US 3rd Army in May 1945 but was handed over to Soviet forces, soldier of the division executed an unknown number of black prisoners of war from the 12th Senegalese Tirailleurs regiment in mid-June 1940. V. Generalleutnant Rudolf Freiherr von Waldenfels Oberst Friedrich-Wilhelm Jürgens Generalleutnant Rudolf Freiherr von Waldenfels The organisation of the division, Mitcham, die Gepanzerten und Motorisierten Deutschen Grossverbände 1935 –1945

10.
French Army
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The French Army, officially the Land Army is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. Along with the French Air Force, the French Navy and the National Gendarmerie, the current Chief of Staff of the French Army is General Jean-Pierre Bosser, a direct subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff. All soldiers are considered professionals following the suspension of conscription, voted in parliament in 1997, as of 2014, the French Army employed 111,628 personnel. In addition, the element of the French Army consisted of 15,453 personnel of the Operational Reserve. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the Hundred Years War and these units of troops were raised by issuing ordonnances to govern their length of service, composition and payment. These Compagnies dordonnance formed the core of the Gendarme Cavalry into the sixteenth century, stationed throughout France and summoned into larger armies as needed. There was also made for Francs-archers units of bowmen and foot soldiers raised from the non-noble classes. The bulk of the infantry for warfare was still provided by urban or provincial militias, raised from an area or city to fight locally and named for their recruiting grounds. Gradually these units became more permanent, and in 1480s Swiss instructors were recruited and these men would be paid and contracted and receive training. Henry II further regularised the French army by forming standing Infantry regiments to replace the Militia structure, the first of these the Régiments de Picardie, Piémont, Navarre and Champagne were called the Les Vieux Corps. It was normal policy to disband regiments after a war was over as a cost saving measure with the Vieux Corps and the Kings own Household Troops the Maison du Roi being the only survivors. Regiments could be raised directly by the King and so called after the region in which they were raised, or by the nobility and so called after the noble or his appointed colonel. In 1684 there was a reorganisation of the French infantry and again in 1701 to fit in with Louis XIVs plans. This reshuffle created many of the regiments of the French Army and standardised their equipment. The army of the Sun King tended to wear coats with coloured linings. There were exceptions and the troops, recruited from outside France. In addition to these regiments of the line the Maison du Roi provided several elite units, the Swiss Guards, French Guards, the revolution split the army with the main mass losing most of its officers to aristocratic flight or guillotine and becoming demoralised and ineffective. The French Guard joined the revolt and the Swiss Guards were massacred during the storming of the Tuileries palace, under Napoleon I, the French Army conquered most of Europe during the Napoleonic Wars

11.
1st Armored Division (France)
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The 1st Armored Division is a unit of the French Army formed during World War II. Dissolved for a first time in 1946, the unit was recreated in 1948 and it was again dissolved in 1999 with the cadre of the professionalization of the French Military. The 1st Mechanised Brigade, created on July 1,1999, the 1re BM was again dissolved on July 21,2015. The 1st Division was recreated in 2016, the 1st Armored Division was created on May 1,1943. It was dissolved on March 31,1946, the 1st Armored Division was recreated in 1948. On July 1,1999, the 1st Mechanised Brigade inherited the traditions of the division, the 1st Mechanised Brigade was dissolved on July 21,2015. The 1st Division was recreated on July 1,2016 part of the Scorpion Force alongside the 3rd Division, the motto of the division, Nomine et Virtute Prima, translates literally to La première par le nom et la valeur in French, The first in designation and worth. The choice of the insignia, the cross of Saint Louis by général Jean Touzet du Vigier, comes from the place of formation of the unit, Tunisia, the division is known and referred to as division Saint-Louis. The division was cited three times at the orders of the forces during the Second World War. In 1943, a French armed force was formed in North Africa, the unit was equipped with modern equipment coming from the United States, and the program anticipated the constitution of several armed divisions. S. American norms, in three tactical groupments, baptized by the Americans as Combat Command, under these designations the three French divisions engaged in operations from 1944 to 1945. Within this context, the 1st Armored Division 1st DB was formed on May 1,1943, the division was heir to the Light Mechanic Brigade which combat engaged in Tunisia. On January 28,1943, général du Vigier took command of this unit in formation and he had left the command of the BLM to général Brossin de Saint-Didier and installed his command post in Mascara where the training center for armored brigades garrisoned. In the coming months of May 1943 joined transmission and services, in August, the train and a squadron group reinforced immediately. Then, the 2nd African Chasseur doubled to form 2nd Tank-Cuirassiers Regiment, the latter had just been promoted to a divisional general on August 25, and all the forces which were under his disposition were grouped around Mascara. The 2nd Zouaves Regiment disappeared and was replaced, as the infantry of the division, the division assumed position within the ranks of the 1st Army then designate as Army B and which would participate to the disembarking of Provence. The first embarking commenced in Oran and Mers-el-Kébir at the end of the month of July 1944, the Naval ships lifted anchors on August 10 and 11. The disembarking should have taken lieu between Saint-Tropez and Saint-Raphaël, at the dawn of August 15, an enormous naval fleet was assembled north-west of Corsica steering and heading north

12.
8th Infantry Division (France)
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The 8th Infantry Division was a French Army formation during World War I, World War II and the Cold War. The 8th Infantry Division was a part of the 4th Army Corps at the start of the war, at various times it included the 115th, 117th, 124th, 130th, 311th Infantry Regiments, as well as the 34th Territorial Infantry Regiment and the 21st Tirailleurs Infantry Regiment. In 1915 it participated in the First and Second Battle of Champagne, in 1916, it participated in the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Observatories. 1917 saw the division involved in holding the front line, but 1918 saw the division participating in the 4th Battle of Champagne. At various times, it was part of the French First Army, French Second Army, French Third Army, French Fourth Army, French Fifth Army, French Sixth Army and French Tenth Army. The 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment was mainly made up of Spanish Republican Soldiers who had fled to France after the Spanish Civil War, the other regiments were made up of reservists. The 8th Motorised Infantry Brigade was absorbed by the 7th Light Armoured Division, in 1977, the 7th Armoured Division was dissolved and its component units were used to create a new 7th Armoured Division, a 4th Armoured Division, and the 8th Infantry Division. The new division had its headquarters at Amiens and formed part of III Corps, in 1985 the division consisted of the 8 RI, the 94 RI, the 67 RI, the 7 RCh, the 41 RAMa, the 8 Compaigne de Genie, and the 8 RCS. This division was dissolved in 1993

13.
2nd Armored Division (France)
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The French 2nd Armored Division, commanded by General Philippe Leclerc, fought during the final phases of World War II in the Western Front. The divisions 14,454 personnel included men from the 2nd Light Division, escapees from metropolitan France, about 3,600 Moroccans and Algerians and about 350 Spanish Republicans. Other sources give about 2,000, official records of the 2e DB show fewer than 300 Spaniards as they hid their nationality, the division embarked in April 1944 and shipped to various ports in Britain. On 29 July 1944, bound for France, the division embarked at Southampton, during combat in 1944, the division liberated Paris, defeated a Panzer brigade during the armored clashes in Lorraine, forced the Saverne Gap and liberated Strasbourg. They all but destroyed the 9th Panzer Division and defeated several other German units, during the Battle for Normandy, the 2nd Division lost 133 men killed,648 wounded, and 85 missing. Division material losses included 76 armored vehicles,7 cannons,27 halftracks, the most celebrated moment in the units history was the Liberation of Paris. Eisenhower agreed to let the French armored division and the U. S. 4th Infantry Division liberate Paris. In the early morning of 23 August, Leclercs 2e DB left the south of Argentan on its march to Paris, a march which was slowed by poor conditions, French crowds. On 24 August, General Leclerc sent an advance party to enter the city. This party, commanded by Captain Raymond Dronne, consisted of the 9th company of the 3rd Battalion of the Régiment de marche du Tchad. Dronne and his men arrived at the Hôtel de Ville, in the center of Paris, on 25 August, the 2nd Armored and the U. S. 4th Division entered Paris and liberated it. After hard fighting that cost the 2nd Division 35 tanks,6 self-propelled guns, and 111 vehicles, von Choltitz, the German military governor of Paris, capitulated at the Hôtel Meurice. The following day,26 August, a victory parade took place on the Champs Élysées, which was lined with a jubilant crowd acclaiming General de Gaulle. The 2nd Division later fought in the battles in Lorraine. Subsequently, the 2nd Division operated with U. S. forces during the assault into the Vosges Mountains, the Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to the division for this action. Fighting in Alsace until the end of February 1945, the 2nd Division was deployed to reduce the Royan Pocket on the western coast of France in March–April 1945. After forcing the Germans in the Royan Pocket to surrender on 18 April 1945, eventually, the 2nd Division finished its campaigning at the Nazi resort town of Berchtesgaden in Southeastern Germany. According to Defence Historical Service, the unit counted 1,224 dead and 5,257 wounded at the end of the campaign in northwestern Europe

14.
5th Armored Division (France)
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The 5th Armored Division was an armored division of the French Army that fought in World War II and the Algerian War. It was also active in Germany during the Cold War, the division was formed on 1 May 1943 under the command of General de Vernejoul. It was initially the 2nd Armored Division, but renamed the 5th Armored Division on 9 July, during the Cold War, the division was initially stationed in Germany, its HQ was in Landau, Palatinate. The division left Germany for Algeria on 1 April 1956, but left some units in Palatinate, the French Army in Germany was drastically reduced after the end of the Cold War, the 5th was dissolved on 31 June 1992

15.
6th Light Armoured Brigade (France)
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The 6th Light Armoured Brigade one of the eight inter-arm brigades which are at the disposition of the Commandement de la force daction terrestre. The brigade is very similar to the constitution, material, the headquarters of the brigade is situated in Nîmes. The brigade is capable of deploying to any theatre of operation while delivering fire power, agility. The brigade is heir to the 6th Cavalry Division of 1914, the 6th Light Cavalry Division of 1940, the 6th Armoured Division of Compiègne, the 31st Brigade then took part in peacekeeping combat operations in Lebanon in 1983 within the ranks of the Multinational Force in Lebanon. The Brigade was considered an inter-arm French Foreign Legion and French Army brigade, dominated by the legion including the Troupes de Marine and commanded by the Foreign Legion Groupment. The brigade was dissolved in 1984 and replaced with the 6th Light Armoured Division which partook in the Gulf War engaged as Division Daguet during Opération Daguet. Following the reforms of the French Army in 1999, the division was renamed the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. In 1984, the unit was named 6th Light Armoured Division and was part of the Rapid Reaction Force. Q. Q. com Lordre de bataille de la force terrestre

16.
9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade (France)
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In July 1963, the 9e Marine Infantry Division was created in Brittany. On 1 January 1976, the 9th Division became the 9th Marine Infantry Division, attached to the intervention force. On 1 July 1999, the 9th Marine Infantry Division became the 9th Marine Light Armoured Brigade, on 1 January 2013, the unit was renamed and downsized to the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade. The Division then made way to Indochina, where it was placed dormant in December 1947, the unit was reactivated in July 1963 in Brittany under the designation of 9th Brigade. On January 1,1976, the division was baptized as 9th Marine Infantry Division 9e DIMa, accordingly, the division was attached to the terrestrial intervention force, then the Rapid Reaction Force, FAR since 1983. On July 1,1999, the unit was restructured in a brigade and was designated as 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade, on January 1,2013, the brigade was named to the current designation as the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade. The headquarter staff is stationed in Poitiers since July 1,2010, the motto of the brigade is « Semper et Ulbique », Latin for « Always and All over ». On January 2013, elements of the Brigade took part in Operation Serval, in all combat engagement theatres around the globe, the 9e BIMa illustrated worth of the oldest traditions of the French Troop de Marine. Security missions, securitization of urbain oriented combat designated areas, deep decentralization action of search and reconnaissance oriented missions. Rapid and deep incursions The 9e BIMa is present around the globe and also relieves missions of short duration such as in Senegal, Guyana in Mayotte, the 9eBIMa actively participates to missions with the French Navy as the land terrestrial land component of Amphibious groups. The 9e BIMa is twinned with 3rd Royal Marines Commando Brigade of the Royal Navy, within this title, from May 28 to June 1,2012, the center of amphibious operations of the headquarter staff embarked on BPC Mistral with the designated exercise Narval. 10 officers of the staff of the participated in light of preparation to exercise Corsican Lion which took place from October 17 to October 26,2012

17.
10th Parachute Division (France)
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The 10th Parachute Division was a formation of the French Army, part of the French Airborne Units. It consisted predominantly of infantry troops and it specialized in airborne combat and air assault. Established in 1956, it primarily in the Suez Crisis. It was dissolved immediately after the Algiers putsch of 1961, on July 1,1956, the 10e D. P. Barely created, the 10e D. P. took part in the Suez Crisis in Egypt, the 10e D. P was reinforced for this purpose with, One squadron of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment comprising 148 men and 17 AMX-13. Although the battle was a success, allied troops had to withdrawn due to pressure from the United States. In Algiers, the National Liberation Front was carrying out a wave of terrorist attacks an urban guerilla which made many casualties, in January 1957, Robert Lacoste, Minister Resident in Algeria, reacted by giving full powers to General Massu over the Algiers area. Massu sent the 10e D. P. to search out, arrest, the battle of Algiers proved to be a clear success for the French military, with most prominent FLN leaders killed or arrested and terrorist attacks effectively stopped. However, the use of torture against some FLN members led to an opposition to war in France. In 1956, the newly independent Republic of Tunisia was helping the FLN by smuggling weapons, the electrified fence known as the Morice Line was built up to prevent Algerian FLN guerrillas from entering the French colony of Algeria from Tunisia. The 10e D. P. was assigned to the surveillance of a portion of the electrified border, the Morice Line had a significant impact of the reduction of guerrillas activities by forces that originated from Tunisia. However, general Massu, the officer of the 10e D. P. was relieved of his command as he criticized president Charles de Gaulles actions. Despite the military successes, French Prime Minister Michel Debrés government started secret negotiations with the anti-colonialist FLN in order to grant independence to Algeria, French settlers and soldiers were stunned by this decision and a putsch was organized in Algiers. With the exception of the 3e RPIMa, the rest of the 10e D. P. supported the coup. When the putsch failed the 25e D. P. along with the 10e D. P. were dissolved and the 1er R. E. P was the only regiment disbanded. Except for the Legionnaires of the 1e REP that conserve the Green Beret, the Archangel Saint Michael, patron of the French paratroopers is celebrated on September 29. The prière du Para was written by André Zirnheld in 1938, just like the paratrooper Brevet of the French Army, the Insignia of French Paratroopers was created in 1946. The French Army Insignia of metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed <<winged armed dextrochere>>, the Insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers

18.
11th Parachute Brigade (France)
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The 11th Parachute Brigade is a unit of the French Army, dominantly infantry, part of the French Airborne Units and specialized in air combat and air assault. The Brigades primary vocation is to project in emergency in order to contribute a first response to a situational crisis, an elite unit of the French Army, the brigade is commanded by a général de brigade with headquarters based in Balma near Toulouse. The Brigades soldiers and airborne Marines wear the red beret except for the Legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment who wear Green beret of the French Foreign Legion. On May 1,1961, the 11th Light Intervention Division was created from dissolved airborne units of the 10th and 25th Parachute Division. On December 1,1963, the 11th Division was created by merging the 11th Light Intervention Division, on April 1,1971, the 11th Division became the 11th Parachute Division. On June 1999, the 11th Parachute Division became the 11th Parachute Brigade, the division commanded by General Marzloff rejoins the metropole on July 1,1961. On August 1,1963, the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment leaves the Division and takes garrison in Lorraine at Dieuze, on October 1,1963, the division integrated the BOMAP. On December 1,1963, the 11th Light Intervention Division merged with the 9th Colonial Infantry Division, a support battalion, the 61e BS was created on February 1,1964, at Auch. The 61e BS supervised health services and provisions in the Division, in March, the 61st Transmission Airborne Brigade steps in at Pau and regroups the existing transmission companies. On July 1966, the 11th Division reached 16,000 men and was composed of two brigades forming five parachute regiments. The 9th Outremer Brigade left the Division and the 20th Airborne Brigade, the three support regiments were reorganized in two interam regiments of intervention that conserved nevertheless their original nominations. The 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment disappeared, the following year in 1974, the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment was recreated and the interarm regiments find their specialities. On August 1,1974, the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment was reattached to the Division, Units belonging to the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment and the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment took part in Operation Tacaud starting from 1978 in Tchad. During this time, France was manned with a force of 20,000 strong composed of the 11th Parachute Division. In the aftermath of the Cold War, the French Army reorganised, the 11th Parachute Brigade was formed in 1999 at Balma on the base of the 11 Parachute Division on the occasion of the restructuring of the French Army. The brigade was engaged in Afghanistan and Africa, the 11th Parachute Brigade and mainly the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP took part in Operation Licorne in the Ivory Coast. The parachute brigade intervened in Afghanistan starting 2006 within and part of the French Detachment of NATO International Force, the brigade was relieved in September 2007 by the mountain infantry Alpines Chasseurs of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade. On August 18,2008, a section of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment lost eight men during the Ambush of Uzbin, the paratroopers of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment made up the first rotation

19.
25th Parachute Division (France)
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The 25th Parachute Division was an airborne division of the French Army, part of the French Airborne Units. Consisting mainly of air infantry specialized in combat, air assault and established in 1956. On June 1,1956, the 25th Parachute Division was created in the 5th military region from the 25e DIAP, on April 1,1960, the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment relieved the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment part of the 10th Parachute Division. On December 1,1958, the Colonial Parachute Regiments underwent a designation renomination to the Marine Infantry Parachute Regiments while conserving their number regimental designation. Accordingly, General Raoul Salan, superior commander in Algeria, delegated all five airborne infantry regiments to General Paul Vanuxem, the battle took place at both the Morice Line and Challe Line and lasted for about 5 months. Except for the Legionnaires of the 2e REP that conserve the Green Beret, the Archangel Saint Michael, patron of the French paratroopers is celebrated on September 29. The prière du Para was written by André Zirnheld in 1938, just like the paratrooper Brevet of the French Army, the Insignia of French Paratroopers was created in 1946. The French Army Insignia of metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed <<winged armed dextrochere>>, the Insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers. In fact, the Insignia represents <<the right Arm of Saint Michael>> and this Insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions. The French Army Insignia of Marine Infantry Paratroopers is backgrounded by a Marine Anchor, J. Baltzer & E. Micheletti, Insignes et brevets parachutistes de larmée française, Histoires et collections,2001, ISBN 2-913-903-118. History of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment and 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

20.
1st Light Mechanized Division (France)
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The 1st Light Mechanized Division was a French Army formation during World War II. It was the first of the divisions of the French Cavalry. Preparations to create such a unit began in 1931, slowly the 4th Cavalry Division was mechanised. The name of the unit is most often translated as Light Mechanized Division, in French the adjective mécanique qualifies légère, not the other way around. This also makes sense from a point of view, light here is a synonym of mobile. While any mechanised division was light, not every light division was mechanised, motorised infantry divisions without tracked vehicles would also be called light divisions, the artillery and infantry components were fully motorised, part of the organic infantry was also mechanised, using half-tracks. During the Battle of France in May 1940 the division contained the following units, 1st Mechanized Light Brigade 2th Mechanized Light Brigade 74th Artillery Regiment

21.
1st Moroccan Infantry Division
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The 1st Moroccan Infantry Division was a French Army formation during World War I and World War II. The division was formed in July 1918 by the renaming and partial reorganization of the Moroccan Infantry Division, 1st Moroccan Brigade 12e Bataillon de tirallieurs Malgaches. Recruited from indigenous Madagascan infantry with French officers, marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion, Légion Russe. 2nd Moroccan Brigade 7e Régiment de Marche de Tirailleurs, recruited primarily from indigenous Moroccan infantry with French officers. 8e Régiment de Marche de Zouaves, recruited primarily from French settlers in Algeria. The division also had attached to it the 32e régiment dinfanterie territoriale, the division was involved in many battles - such as the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918. It mainly contained native troops from French Morocco

22.
3rd Colonial Infantry Division (France)
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The 3rd Colonial Infantry Division was a division of the French Marine Forces, comprising both French and colonial troops. The compagnie franches de la mer or French Marines were created in 1622 by Richelieu and these were reorganized into régiments dinfanterie coloniale in 1900 and placed under the Ministry of War. In 1958, all Colonial Infantry Regiments were retitled French Marines, the 3rd Colonial Infantry Division fought in the First and Second world wars. 1914, The division fought in the Battle of the Ardennes, the Battle of the Meuse, the First Battle of the Marne,1915, Many small engagements, plus the Second Battle of Champagne. 1916, The Battle of the Somme,1917, The Second Battle of the Aisne, and many small engagements. 1918, The Third Battle of the Aisne, the 4th Battle of Champagne, the Second Battle of the Marne, troupes de marine Fusiliers de Marine - Naval light infantry French Colonial Forces Official site Unofficial site

23.
2nd Infantry Division (France)
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The French 2nd Infantry Division was one of the oldest divisions of the French army. 22 March 1815, Division General Donzelot,18 October 1873, General Bellecourt 18 November 1878 –10 January 1880, General Blot. 28 February 1880 –14 September 1880, General de Courcy 11 November 1880, General Vilmette 11 January 1882, General Bardin 17 July 1887 –24 February 1891, General Mathelin. 4 April 1891 –4 November 1891, General Swiney 11 November 1891 –9 January 1892,24 May 1894 –26 October 1899, General Strohl 28 October 1899 –11 May 1905General de Germiny. 17 June 1905, General Bertrand 30 September 1905, General de Chomer 25 March 1906, General Durand 20 July 1907 –31 May 1908,17 June 1908 –18 July 1911General Cramezel de Kerhué28 July 1911 –20 March 1914, General Bizart. 2 August 1914, General Deligny 8 September 1914 –21 September 1914,12 November 1914 -, General Brulard 16 July 1915, General Guignadaudet 17 June 1917 –15 July 1920, General Mignot. 27 August 1940 –10 November 1940, General Etcheberrigarray Schmitz brigade, 13th Light Infantry Regiment 17th Line Infantry Regiment Aulard brigade, commanded by Brigade General Pierre Aulard. 19th Line Infantry Regiment 51st Line Infantry Regiment 10th company of the 6th Foot Artillery Regiment and they joined the Rhine Army, commanded by Marshall Mac Mahon. 13–23 August Movement, via Olloy, to Dinant,15 August, combat at Dinant, formed defence in front of the Meuse, via Dinant and Anbée. 23–29 August Engaged in the Battle of Charleroi, via Saint-Gérard,24 August, return, via Couvin, to the region of Guise 26 August, combat at Gué-dHossus. 29 August –6 September Engaged in the 1st Battle of Guise,30 August, return, via Crécy-sur-Serre, Pontavert and Baizil, to the South of Esternay. 6–13 September Engaged in the 1st Battle of the Marne, 6–10 September, Battle of Deux Morins, Combat in Esternay, Bergères-sous-Montmirail and Fontaine-Chacun. 10 September, continue, via Verneuil and Ville-Dommange, until Reims,13 September –12 December Engaged in the 1st Battle of Aisne, combat in the region of Bétheny, la Neuvillette. 16 September, movement along the road heading North-West, combat at Cholera Farm,4 November, attack and capture of Sapigneul. 11 November, capture of cote 108,12 December 1914 –12 January 1915 Retreat from the front towards Fismes. 16 December, transport by van to Cuperly,20 December or thereabouts, movement to La Cheppe, heading to Laval, to take part in the 1st Battle of Champagne, Engaged on 9 January 1915, North of Mesnil-lès-Hurlus. 12–20 January Retreat from the front and back to Bussy-le-Château,29 March, transport by van towards Vavincourt, then, at the end of 1st April, movement towards the South-East of Verdun. 5–11 April Engaged in the 1st Battle of la Woëvre, towards Buzy Forest, 11–29 April Retreat from the front, further movement, via Souilly and Les Hauts-de-Chée, to Commercy

In Occupied France during the war, reproductions of the 18 June appeal were distributed through underground means as pamphlets and plastered on walls as posters by supporters of the Résistance. This could be a dangerous activity.

Free French Forces Adrian helmet with the Cross of Lorraine replacing the 1939–1940 French Republic "RF" emblem